Fair exhibitor falls in love with welding

MARENGO — “Last year when I started welding, I just fell in love with it,” Elery Hinrichsen, of Williamsburg, told fair judges, Greg Ryan, Brian Fry and Cloyd Clubb, from Kinze.

Hinrichsen began welding two years ago, she said. She learned the skill from a friend and neighbor.

The judges questioned the high school junior about her metal cow planter. Cutting the pieces took about an hour and a half, said Hinrichsen, and the welding took another hour and 20 minutes.

The biggest challenge was welding between the two steers on either side of the planter, Hinrichsen said. It was hard to see where she was welding.

The project taught Hinrichsen “that there is going to be a lot of trial and error,” she said.

It was a process, but a fun process, she said.

If Hinrichsen were to do it again, she’d clean up some of the welds and grind the head down a bit more. It still has a rough spot, she said.

Hinrichsen drew the design on paper and scanned it into the computer, she said. But when she enlarged the patter, “It wasn’t the shape I wanted it to be,” she told the judges, so she found a pattern online.

Hinrichsen used the body on the patter, but the changed the head because it didn’t look quite like she wanted.

“I had a helper by me,” said Hinrichsen. “It was his computer.” He didn’t touch the project, but he offered ideas and solutions to problems, suggesting how put the planter box between the steer silhouettes.

The judges asked what she’s going to do with the planter. “I’m going to put it outside my house,” Hinrichsen said.

Hinrichsen also exhibited five photos at the Iowa County Fair.